Amortentia
by TheNextFolchart
Summary: He noticed her beauty from all the way across the train station. / How Sirius and Marlene found, loved, and lost each other - in only 100 chapters. Written primarily for the "100 Prompts, 100 Drabbles, 100 Words Or Less Challenge" on HPFC. Dedicated to Safari (wouldtheywriteasongforyou). [Word Count: 9,839]
1. Beauty

_This story was born primarily for the "100 Prompts, 100 Drabbles, 100 Words or Less Challenge." Each chapter is based around a word or phrase from the challenge, and no chapter exceeds 100 words. It is not a collection of drabbles, but rather a multi-chaptered story with an overarching plot. It won't take long to read. Hopefully, though, it will leave an impact._

_For Safari, because she's lovely._

* * *

**I. Beauty**

He noticed her beauty from all the way across the train station. She wasn't especially elegant, but there was a loveliness in her smile that he couldn't ignore, and he found himself licking his lips because they'd gone dry.

"Sirius," his cousin snapped as he stepped on her heel. "Watch where you're _going._"

His eyes snapped to Bellatrix, whose nose was scrunched up in an ugly scowl. "Sorry," he said, backing up a few paces. "Didn't mean to."

"First years," she muttered.

He turned his head to find the girl again, but she'd been swallowed up by the crowd.


	2. Love

**II. Love**

Boarding the train was harder than he'd thought it would be for two reasons:

One was that his trunk was bloody _heavy_.

And the second was that Bella kept transfiguring the steps into a slide, so just as he almost made it to the top, he fell back down to the pavement.

His trunk was scuffed and battered by the time he made it onto the train. Bella blew him a kiss. "Love you, cousin," she said, sneering.

Sirius didn't retort.

(But only because he'd caught sight of that girl again, and all the air had left his lungs.)


	3. Dream

**III. Dream**

He'd had a dream about someone like her, once. Tall, willowy, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes and a wide smile that went farther than just her mouth - it lit up her entire face, and it was beautiful.

He lingered in the doorway to watch her kiss her Mum goodbye and begin to lug her trunk toward the train, and then Bellatrix was shouting at him for blocking the aisle.

He gave her a dirty look and jumped off the train.

"Hi," he said as he landed in front of the girl. "D'you need any help?"


	4. Haunted

**IV. Haunted  
**

The girl raised her eyebrows. "You want to help me?" she repeated.

"With your trunk, yeah.

She smirked a little. "Really. Because I saw you having some trouble with your own trunk a little earlier."

"That was just a little joke."

"A joke?"

"My cousin charmed the stairs not to let me board, yeah."

She laughed, and it was loud and raucous and _not _what he'd expected to come out of her mouth, but he also knew it would haunt him for the rest of the day.

"I'm Marlene," she said, offering her hand. "Thank you for helping me."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Haunted]_


	5. Memory

**V. Memory**

He wanted to tell her his name, but he couldn't quite remember it. Everything was lost when he touched her hand, because this girl grew more beautiful the longer he looked at her, and he knew he'd do something to muddle it up by the time they made it to Hogwarts (he always did, after all) so he wanted to commit every detail of her to memory, in case he never got the chance to look at her again without being punched.

"Sirius," he said finally, when the handshake had gone on several seconds too long. "Sirius Black."


	6. Fragile

**VI. Fragile**

"Do be careful with my trunk," Marlene said, watching from the ground as Sirius dragged her things up onto the train. "It's fragile."

He tugged it hard and grunted. "It's _heavy_, is what it is," he said. "Heavier than mine, even. What've you _brought_?"

"Books." But she said it too quickly, and Sirius knew she was hiding something.

"Books are fragile?"

She reddened slightly. "Look, don't worry about it. Just please be careful."

"I am, I am." He got the trunk safely on the train and then offered her his hand so she could climb up herself.

She took it.

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Books]_


	7. Celebration

**VII. Celebration**

As he pulled her trunk down the aisle, he tried to make casual conversation.

"So what house d'you think you'll be in?"

Marlene, who was walking in front of him, shrugged. "Ravenclaw, I hope. You?"

"Slytherin," he said. "My whole family's in Slytherin."

She stopped and slid into a compartment that was packed with giggly girls. "I'm sitting here," she told him. "I can take the trunk."

"Okay." He set it down gently and dusted off his hands. "See you around, Ravenlaw."

She smiled. "Or maybe I'll be in Slytherin, too, and we can celebrate."

"Maybe."

_Please, Merlin, please._


	8. Secret

**VIII. Secret**

As soon as he was gone, Marlene opened her trunk and pulled out a parcel wrapped in brown paper. "You brought them, Marley?" asked Alice.

"I brought them." She unwrapped the package and pulled out six flasks of pink liquid. "Amortentia."

Alice squealed. "The most powerful love potion in the world!"

Marlene distributed the bottles. "We'll be the most sought-after girls in school," she said.

"Who're you giving yours to, Marley?" asked Mary.

Marlene glanced at the compartment across the aisle, where that Sirius Black was sitting with three other boys. "I think I'll wait a bit to decide."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Secret]_


	9. Promise

**IX. Promise**

The train had just started to pull out when Sirius saw her looking at him.

"You see that girl?" he said to his new friends. "Across the aisle? No, no, don't all look at once!"

"Which girl?" James asked.

"The brunette."

"Oh, that's Marley McKinnon. Her parents are friends of my parents."

"So she's a pureblood? That's even better!"

"She's half. What's your obsession with blood, anyway?"

"He must be a vampire," Peter said, but Sirius ignored him.

"Marlene McKinnon." He licked his lips. "I'm going to snog her. Today."

James snorted. "Sure."

"I am, mate. I promise you that."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Kiss]_


	10. Innocence

**X. Innocence**

"What do you mean, you're going to snog her?" Remus asked.

"I'm going to put my mouth on her mouth and just . . . go." Sirius shrugged. "How do you do it?"

Remus reddened. "I don't."

"You've never snogged anyone?"

He shook his head.

"Neither have you, mate," James drawled. "Don't lie to us."

"I have!"

"Who?"

"Narcissa."

"Narcissa who?"

"Narcissa Black."

Peter got it first. "Black? Is she _related _to you?"

"Cousin," he admitted, and James burst out laughing. "It's normal in my family," he said defensively.

"Still," said James, grinning. "Don't make fun of Remus when you've snogged your _cousin_."


	11. Moonlight

**XI. Moonlight**

The sun had set by the time they made it to Hogwarts. Sirius followed the shouts of, "Firs' years, over here!" to a group of rowboats on the edge of the lake. "No more'n four to a boat!"

James, after a brief hello to Marlene, clambered into a boat with a redheaded girl they'd met on the train. Sirius started to follow, but someone tapped him on the shoulder. "We've got one seat left," said Marlene McKinnon. "D'you want to . . . ?"

"Sure." Sirius stepped into the boat and sat down next to her. "Moonlight's romantic," he said.

"Mmm. Very."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Moonlight]_


	12. Whisper

**XII. Whisper**

"Can I tell you a secret?" Marlene asked as the boats began to row themselves.

He leaned forward. "I love secrets."

She bent close to his ear. "I know what you said about me."

Sirius sat back, a little disappointed. "What?"

"About snogging me. James Potter just told me. Don't you dare even try it."

"I - "

She grabbed Sirius by the front of his robes and pushed him backward into the water.

When he surfaced, gasping from the cold, she shouted, "And I know you kissed your cousin!"

And then she zoomed away, laughing with the rest of her friends.

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Cold]_


	13. Echo

**XIII. Echo**

"That was terrible, Marley," chided Alice, but she was grinning.

"Terrible," echoed Mary.

Marlene laughed. "He told his friends he was going to snog me. _Tonight. _I don't even _know _him!"

"He is cute, though," said Emma Vanity.

"Really cute," Alice chimed in. "I wouldn't mind snogging him.

"Neither would I." Mary sighed dreamily.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Well, lucky for you lot, your _you-know-what _will have boys lining up to snog you." She tapped her pocket, where her pink flask was concealed. "I'm saving mine for later, I think. When I actually know what I want."


	14. Jealousy

**XIV. Jealousy.**

Nobody could manage to stall their boat long enough for Sirius to climb inside, so he dog-paddled all the way to shore. He pushed through the crowd of first years until he found Marlene. "You _bitch_," he said, shaking dripping hair out of his eyes.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, were you referring to _me_?"

"No, I was talking about the _other _girl who shoved me out of a boat."

She smiled (it was still beautiful). "You asked for it." She turned to talk to James.

"Don't _talk to him!_"

"Why not?" She raised her eyebrows again. "Jealous?"


	15. Passion

**XV. Passion**

"I'm not jealous."

"Oh, aren't you?" She pecked James on the cheek and walked away.

James, who had been staring into space (in the redhead's direction) jumped. "What was that for?" he asked.

"To get a rise out of me," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "She loathes me with a passion. Thanks to you and your big mouth."

"At least there's passion involved, eh?" James said with a wink. "Did you at least snog her?"

"No! She pushed me into the bloody lake!"

James nudged him. "Maybe that means she likes you."

"Does not."

"Could be. Girls are mental, mate."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Stare]_


	16. Lies

**XVI. Lies**

"Is that amortentia?" a voice asked from over Marlene's shoulder.

She shoved the phial back into her pocket and whirled around. "What?" she said stupidly.

The redhead squinted up at her. "I asked if that was amortentia you had there," she said. "In your little bottle. It's a love potion. They're forbidden at Hogwarts."

Marlene blinked. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she lied.

The redhead exhaled. "Damn," she said with a little smile. "I've always sort of wanted to try it out." She held out her hand. "I'm Lily. Lily Evans."

Marlene took it. "Marlene."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Forbidden]_


	17. Regrets

**XVII. Regrets**

It wasn't until they were filing into the Great Hall that Marlene became worried.

She knew the Sorting Hat could see thoughts - her older brother had told her all about it - and maybe her prank with Sirius was just evil enough that it would persuade the Hat to put her in Slytherin (with the one person at this school she already knew she hated). Sure, she'd been setting up her whole life to be in Ravenclaw - she'd brewed bloody amortentia, and that was no easy feat - but what if this was enough to undo it all?

_Please, Merlin. Not Slytherin._

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Prank gone wrong]_


	18. Trust

**XVIII. Trust**

"I'm really hoping for Ravenclaw," Lily Evans said as they walked up the steps together. "I studied all summer to be smart enough - I suppose it wasn't enough," she added. "I couldn't even recognize whether your potion was amortentia or not."

Marlene bit her lip. "Can I trust you?" she asked.

"Of course."

She pulled out the bottle again. "It's amortentia."

Lily's eyes were huge. "Does it work?"

"Haven't tried yet. But here." She gave Lily the bottle. "Take some. I have extra in my trunk. You can test it out on your own."

Lily smiled. "Thank you."


	19. Revenge

**XIX. Revenge**

When the Hat put Sirius in Gryffindor, Marlene let her stomach unclench.

Because now it didn't matter if she ended up in Slytherin. She'd _gladly _go to Slytherin. Any House without Sirius Black was fine with her.

Lily ended up in Gryffindor, too, and so did Alice. Mary went to Ravenclaw. And then it was Marlene's turn.

"You like your revenge, don't you, Marlene McKinnon," the Hat murmured in her ear. "And a rule-breaker, too?"

Marlene reached for her amortentia before she remembered she'd given it to Lily.

"Quite bold of you. Quite daring indeed. Better be . . . GRYFFINDOR!"


	20. Beach

**XX. Beach**

Marlene didn't go sit down with the other Gryffindors.

Instead she turned on her heel and marched out the door.

She made it all the way to the beach and was climbing into a rowboat to go back to the train when Professor McGonagall caught up with her.

"McKinnon, what do you think you're doing?"

"Leaving," she said. "I can't be a Gryffindor."

McGonagall's mouth was a hard line. "Don't be ridiculous. Come inside, you silly girl, or it'll be detention."

"I won't be in a house with _Black._"

"You don't have a choice in the matter, McKinnon, do you?"

* * *

_[100 Prompts: No Choice]_


	21. Midnight

**XXI. Midnight**

It was midnight before Sirius saw Marlene again.

She stormed into the common room, eyes red and puffy (and still _somehow beautiful_) and flicked up to her dormitory without so much as a glare at him.

"I don't think she secretly loves me," he said to James.

"No, it doesn't look like it."

He shrugged. "Oh well. There are plenty of other girls. Alice. Lily."

"Not Lily," James said immediately. "I want Lily."

"All right, Lily's yours, then."

They both gazed into the fire. "I'm going to sleep," Sirius said finally. "I'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

"Night."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Crying]_


	22. Confessions

**XXII. Confession**

They wandered the corridors the next morning for twenty minutes before Sirius admitted he had no idea where Charms class was.

"Why doesn't this place have a _map_?" James threw his bag on the ground and began to dig through for his wand.

"So how was your snog last night, Sirius?" asked Peter.

"Bloody excellent."

James rolled his eyes. "Was it?"

"It didn't happen," Sirius confessed. "I was going to. But she pushed me in the lake."

Peter laughed. "Tough luck, mate."

"I think Charms is this way," James said, hoisting his bag back up over his shoulder. "Come on."


	23. Crush

**XXIII. Crush**

Of course Marlene was in his Charms class.

And of course the only open desks were either next to her or directly in front of her.

Sirius chose to sit in front of her. "Hullo," he said to the boy sharing his desk. "I'm Sirius."

"Serious about what?" the boy asked blankly.

"Sirius. Like the star. It's my _name_."

"Oh. I'm Frank."

"Nice to meet you."

"You don't know Alice, do you?"

"Erm, sort of."

"Oh, brilliant!" Frank seized his shoulders. "Listen, I've been in love with her since this morning, and I need someone to introduce us."


	24. Chocolate

**XXIV. Chocolate**

"Did you hear that?" Alice whispered to Marlene. "Did you hear what Frank Longbottom just said? He's in love with me! It works!"

Marlene grinned. "Good."

"I put it in his hot chocolate. I dunno why he was drinking hot chocolate when it's still technically summer, but he was, and I dropped some in when he wasn't looking, and now he _loves me._" She began to giggle.

"Alice, calm down."

"I can't. I'm in love! Marley, you have to try this. It's incredible!"

"I told you. I don't know who I want yet. Now hush, the lesson is starting."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Chocolate]_


	25. Alone

**XXV. Alone**

As the days went on, and Marlene watched more and more of her friends use her amortentia to find boyfriends (and a girlfriend, in Emily Vanity's case), she began to feel terribly alone.

Because Alice was off with a different boy each night, and Mary had found a steady boyfriend in a second-year named Michael, and Lily, although she wasn't dating him, had given Severus Snape a drop to see what would happen, and now he didn't let her out of his sight.

Marlene's flask of love potion lay at the bottom of her trunk, unopened and untouched.


	26. Rain

**XXVI. Rain**

"I love Lily," James said for the thousandth time. "Merlin, I love Lily."

"I _know_," Sirius said. "You _told _me."

"I'm going to ask her out."

"She'll say no. She doesn't like you."

There was a rainstorm going on outside, and Lily and Marlene were huddled together by the fire, giggling and writing long letters home. "She's right over there," James moaned. "I'll just ask."

"Good for you, mate," Sirius said. "I'll here for you when she rejects you." He frowned and added, "Here to _laugh _at you, if that wasn't clear."

"Thanks." He walked away. "You're a true friend."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Rain]_


	27. Letters

**XXVII. Letters**

"Lily?"

Lily looked up from her letter. "Hi, Potter."

"Listen, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me sometime."

"We all have dinner together, remember? In the Great Hall? We sit by House."

Marlene ducked her head to hide her silent laughter.

"I meant just you and me," he said.

Lily sighed. "Look, Potter - James - I'm sorry, but I'm not looking to date now."

"Oh." He turned very red. "Oh. In that case I - I'm sorry." And he walked away.

Marlene was grinning. "You gave _James _amortentia?"

Lily shook her head thoughtfully. "No, actually. I didn't."


	28. Cold

**XXVII. Cold**

James put his head down on the table and moaned.

"Did you really expect anything different, mate?" Sirius asked.

"I dunno," James said, voice muted by the wood. "She was so _cold _about it."

"You shocked her. She wasn't expecting it. You just made a mistake: next time, don't spring questions like that on girls you hardly know."

James moaned again. "Is she looking over here?"

Sirius snuck a glance, and instead of Lily, he found Marlene staring in their direction. "No," he said, tearing his eyes away from her blue-eyed gaze. "She isn't."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Mistake]_


	29. Dark

**XXIX. Dark**

Around the fifth week of term, Remus got the news his mother was ill, and he left Hogwarts for three days.

"We should write her a get-well letter," Peter suggested, so they did, lounging by the fireplace while James stole peeks at Lily.

"Potter," Sirius said. "Stop stalking the poor girl."

"I can't help it," he said, moving to lean on his elbow (and knocking dark ink all over Peter's letter in the process). "I think I love her."

"Stop saying that, James," Marlene called from the corner of the common room. "We can hear you, you know."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Letter]_


	30. Addiction

**XXX. Addiction**

Only a few days passed before another declaration of love was made:

"Alice?" Peter Pettigrew said. "Listen, I was wondering if you'd like to . . . Er . . . Have dinner sometime?"

Alice giggled. "I - "

Marlene grabbed her arm and yanked her off to the side. "Did you give him amortentia, too?"

Alice bit her lip.

"You _did!_ This has got to stop. You have a bloody addiction. Give me your bottle."

Alice shook her head. "I can't. It's all gone. I gave Pettigrew the last drop."

Marlene groaned. "You used _all of it?_"

She grinned. "Addiction, remember?"


	31. Flower

**XXXI. Flower**

The effects of the love potion decreased as the months went by, and all of Alice's suiters slowly began to fade away into the background.

All except one.

"Have you seen Alice?" Frank Longbottom asked desperately, a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand. "Has anyone seen Alice?"

"Merlin, Alice, how much amortentia did you put in his drink?" Marlene asked the girl crouching behind the couch.

"Half the bottle," she whispered miserably.

"I told you only one drop!"

"I didn't realize how strong it would be!"

Marlene couldn't hold in a laugh.


	32. Snow

**XXXII. Snow**

It was the first day of the Christmas holiday, and it was snowing, and Marlene was going home.

She bundled up in her coat and hat, packed up her rucksack with some clothes and a book to read on the train, and then she was out the portrait hole and rounding the corner -

- and walking directly into Sirius Black.

"Sorry!" he said, and then his eyes widened as he realized who she was.

"My fault," she replied automatically.

(It was the first thing either of them had said to the other since the night of the Sorting.)


	33. Temptation

**XXXIII. Temptation**

Alice was the only Gryffindor girl who didn't go home over the holidays.

Which meant she was surrounded by boys.

(And out of amortentia.)

It was maddening, really, to be so ignored when every boy was head over heels for her for three solid months. Alice cursed herself for wasting half the bottle on Frank.

Marlene hadn't used any of her potion, though. Alice knew her flask was buried at the bottom of her trunk, under a layer of clothes.

And surely she wouldn't notice if _one tiny drop _went missing, right?


	34. Autumn

**XXXIV. Autumn**

For the first time since the train ride back in autumn, Alice had a full bottle of Amortentia in her hand. "Hullo, Potter," she said to James at breakfast. "Fancy a pumpkin juice?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine with my hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate sounds delicious," Alice said, popping the cork out of Marlene's flask behind her back. "Mind if I have a sip?"

"I suppo - "

"Prewett?" Professor McGonagall marched toward her.

"Professor!" Alice shoved the flask into her pocket. "Why, what a lovely surprise to see you here."

McGonagall looked angry. "What do you have in your pocket?"

* * *

_[100 Prompts: __"Professor!" hides suspicious object behind back. "Why, what a lovely surprise to see you here."__]_


	35. Discovery

**XXXV. Discovery**

Alice turned red. "In my pocket?

"The bottle you were about to pour in Potter's drink. What's in it, Miss Prewett?"

"You were putting something in my drink?" James asked.

"It's just milk," Alice said quickly. "I like to add milk."

"Show me."

Trembling, Alice pulled out her bottle of amortentia. "Marlene gave it to me. It's just special milk."

McGonagall examined the flask carefully. "Oh, I know _exactly _what this is," she said furiously, and then she made a beeline for Professor Slughorn.

"What is it?" James asked.

Alice groaned. "Love potion. I am _so _expelled."


	36. Hiding

**XXXVI. Hiding**

"Amortentia," Slughorn confirmed. "And she said Marlene McKinnon gave it to her?"

McGonagall nodded, mouth pressed into a hard line. "She did."

Slughorn sighed. "I suppose you'll expel her, then?"

"What else can I do? Love potions are forbidden at Hogwarts."

"I don't know, Minerva. She's a bright girl, to have brewed this so young. Might be worth it to keep her on."

"So what do you propose we do? Cover this up? Hide it?"

Slughorn dropped the bottle into his desk drawer and closed it. "That is exactly what I propose."


	37. Truth

**XXXVII. Truth**

"I know something you don't know," James sang in Sirius' ear. "I know something you don't know!"

"If this is about the superglue on the toilet seats, let me assure you, I already know."

"It's not. But I'm glad you've seen my handiwork."

"That was _you?_"

"Sirius, focus. I know something about Marlene McKinnon."

"Oh. What about her?"

James was grinning. "She has a plentiful supply of extremely illegal love potion."

Sirius finally looked up. "How do you know?"

He held up a tiny bottle. "Because I've just nicked it from Slughorn's office."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: _

_1) "I know something you don't know! I know something you don't know!" _

_2) "This is worse than when someone put super-glue on all the toilet seats." "Sorry about that." "That was you! I had to go that day!"__]_


	38. Rogue

**XXXVIII. Rogue**

"Let me see that." Sirius grabbed the bottle. "Oh, James. James, James, James. However did you come across this?"

"Alice tried to slip me some at breakfast. McGonagall caught her and confiscated it, but I followed her down to Sluggy's office and heard them agree to keep it quiet."

"So what we have here is _blackmail, _then," Sirius said with a grin. "Oh, McKinnon. You will deeply regret the day you shoved me into the lake."

James bit his lip. "Any chance I can have that back?"

"Why?"

"Y'know . . . to use . . . on Lily?"

"No. Get over her. I need revenge."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Eavesdropping]_


	39. Champagne

**XXXIX. Champagne**

It was New Year's Eve when the owl arrived.

Marlene put down her champagne glass (filled with water, because nobody would let her drink alcohol) and untied the letter from the owl's foot. "Who's it from, Marley?" her mother asked.

"Professor McGonagall." Marlene scanned the letter, and then she froze.

_Dear Miss McKinnon,_

_We have confirmed that you are in possession of amortentia..._

"Ten!" chanted her family. "Nine! Eight!"

…_you will not be expelled…_

"Seven! Six! Five!"

_...one and only warning…_

"Four! Three! Two!"

..._detention…._

"ONE! Happy New Year!"

Marlene crumpled the letter in her fist.


	40. Popular

**XL. Popular**

"I'm sorry."

"I don't care."

"Marley, please."

Marlene whipped her head around to glare at Alice. "Sorry doesn't fix this!" she hissed. "You stole my things, you got me caught - I've got detention for the rest of term!"

"I didn't mean to."

"My parents will kill me if they ever find out."

Alice's lip was trembling. "I just wanted them to like me. Nobody ever does, you know." She hung her head. "I just people to know I exist."

Marlene couldn't help it: "Everyone's been calling you a whore since September. Trust me, Ali, people know you exist."


	41. Sparkle

**XLI. Sparkle**

Marlene regretted saying it instantly. "I didn't mean - that was a lie," she said.

"Who calls me a whore?" Alice demanded. Her eyes sparkled with tears. "I've never even _kissed _a boy!"

"I know that, Alice, but you've earned yourself a reputation. When you're always surrounded by boys, people are going to think you're - y'know. Doing them favors."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm _eleven. _I just like them talking to me."

Marlene sighed. "I know. But there are better ways to get people to talk to you."

And right on cue, someone shouted, "McKinnon!" from across the Great Hall.


	42. Fearless

**XLII. Fearless**

"McKinnon!" Sirius yelled, making a beeline for her. "How were your holidays?"

Marlene narrowed her eyes. "Fine," she said slowly. "And yours?"

He slid into the seat next to her. There was no trace of fear or awkwardness in his demeanor. It was as if he'd forgotten about their rivalry. "Excellent, excellent."

"Erm . . . What can I do for you, Black?"

"What, I can't sit down for breakfast with my dear friend?"

Marlene looked at Alice, who shrugged. "We aren't friends," she said finally.

"Oh." He stood. "All right, then. Enjoy your meal!" And he skipped away toward the staircase.


	43. Proposal

**XLIII. Proposal**

"That was odd," Alice said.

"Very." Marlene stared at Sirius' retreating back and took a sip of her tea. "This tastes funny," she added, pushing the mug away. "Too much milk, I think."

"Let me taste." Alice swallowed a mouthful of Marlene's tea, and then nearly choked as Frank Longbottom came around the corner. "Oh, Merlin, I don't want him around making people think I'm a whore!"

"Oh, it's not like he's here to propose to you," Marlene said, standing up. "Just talk to him. I'm going after - I want to see what was up with Black."


	44. Together

**XLIV. Together**

"Did it work?" James asked as Sirius rounded the corner and nearly crashed into him.

"Dunno. I put the potion in her tea, like we planned, but I didn't see her actually drink it."

"I'm sure it worked." James clapped Sirius on the back. "Now we just have to spike Lily's coffee, and then the four of us can all go on dates together!"

"That's creepy, mate. Don't spike anything. I only did McKinnon's for revenge." He craned his neck to see the Great Hall. "She's coming!"

James grinned. "We're bloody geniuses."


	45. Heartbroken

**XLV. Heartbroken**

"Alice," Frank said nervously. "I really like you, and I - "

"I don't want to go out with you," Alice said loudly. A few people at the Ravenclaw table turned to look at her. "I don't like boys. I'm not a whore!"

Frank looked shocked. "I didn't say you were."

"Just leave me alone! I don't want you!"

"I just thought - "

"Get away from me!"

Frank looked down at his feet. "Sorry," he said, and he shuffled away.

(Funny how Alice's heart was the one that felt like it was breaking.)

(Funny how Alice wanted to run after him.)


	46. Loss

**XLVI. Loss**

"You're going home _again_, Remus?" Peter asked.

Remus nodded and tossed another book in his rucksack. "Aunt Selene's died," he said. "I've got to go to the funeral."

"Your aunts keep dying," Peter pointed out. "That's three in three months."

Remus stiffened.

"Is it some kind of genetic illness?"

"Erm. Yes."

"Well, I'm sorry for your loss," Peter said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Thanks." Remus pulled his sack over his shoulder. "I hated Aunt Selene anyway."


	47. Friends

**XLVII. Friends**

"Sirius?" Marlene said as she hurried out of the Great Hall. "I need to talk to you."

Sirius grinned. _Here it comes_. "Yes?"

"I - " She swallowed. "I'd like to be your friend, actually. I think. Yes."

"My friend? But you said we weren't friends. Remember?"

James turned his laugh into a cough.

"I know. But it's time we forgave each other, don't you think?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I don't know. You _did _shove me in the lake."

"I'm so sorry about that," she said. "So, _so _sorry."

Sirius grinned. "Relax, McKinnon. Of course I'll be your friend."


	48. Roses

**XLVIII. Roses**

"I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that she didn't throw herself at your feet and beg you to love her," James said as they walked to Potions.

"Don't worry," Sirius said, holding up the half-empty bottle. "I'm not done yet."

"Can't I have _one drop _for - "

"None for Lily, James. Either woo her with her roses like an ordinary bloke, or move on."

"I can't move on," he said immediately. "Not from her. Never. No matter what. Until the end of time."

"Okay, James, I get it! Merlin. It's almost like someone slipped _you _a love potion."


	49. Glitter

**XLIX. Glitter**

Slughorn had filled the classroom with glittering fairy lights before the holidays, and when Sirius and James walked in he was attempting to take them down. "Everyone find a partner for Shrinking Solutions," he said as his class filed in. Sirius caught Marlene's eye and winked. "Longbottom, come help me, there's a good lad."

Frank, who was taller than Slughorn by at least a head, pulled the lights down. "Partners, Sirius?" he asked over his shoulder.

"No," Marlene said a little too quickly. "He's partnering with me this time."

Sirius and James exchanged a grin.

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Lights]_


	50. Magic

**L. Magic**

She hated admitting it, but he was handsome.

More than handsome. He was _sexy._

Why hadn't she ever seen it before?

She caught herself staring at his jawline, his long eyelashes, his cheekbones, his lips. It was like someone had taken a magic paintbrush and created a living masterpiece, and she wanted him to give her _any kind of attention at all. _

"You alright, McKinnon?" he whispered, and her heart positively _raced_.

"Fine," she said, fighting to keep the smile off her face. "Better than fine. I'm really, really great."

"Well, that's good," Sirius said with a smirk. "I'm glad."


	51. Fire

**LI. Fire**

She couldn't keep her eyes off him, even as Slughorn began the lesson.

"McKinnon, I know I'm sexy, but please, you're making me nervous," he said out of the side of his mouth. "Just because we're friends doesn't mean I want you to gape at me. Control yourself, woman."

"Sorry! Sorry." She ducked to light the fire under their cauldron. It didn't make any sense. She hated this boy. He was a pervert. He was a flirt. He was a tease. And suddenly, after one holiday, she was obsessed with him. What was the _matter _with her?


	52. Wormwood

**LII. Wormwood**

"Add the wormwood," Marlene read from the blackboard. "And then stir."

Sirius did.

"Now the phial of leech juice."

"Hang on, I can't find that."

"It was right there," Marlene said, refusing to look in his direction. _You hate him. You hate him. You hate him. You love him._

"Maybe I put it in my pocket by mistake." Sirius pulled out a tiny flask. "Ah, here it is. You add it, McKinnon."

"Okay." She took the bottle and was about to pour it in when she noticed the liquid inside wasn't leech juice.

It was _pink_…

And then everything clicked.


	53. Vanilla

**LIII. Vanilla**

"You _bastard,_" she said.

Sirius grinned. "What? Is there something wrong with the leech juice?"

"Where did you get this?"

"I don't know what you're - "

"Don't _lie _to me, Black!"

He was laughing. "How's that taste of your own medicine? Is it chocolate-flavored? Vanilla? Strawberry?"

She stood up and flipped the cauldron. Their half-finished potion spilled all over him.

"What the _hell_!"

"Sirius Black gave me a love potion!" she shouted. The classroom went silent

James jumped up. "It was Marlene's love potion to begin with!"

Slughorn looked furious. "McKinnon. Black. Come with me. _Now._"


	54. Broken

**LIV. Broken**

"You were given one warning, Miss McKinnon," McGonagall said.

Marlene was weeping.

"I'm afraid now that others know about your love potion, we have no choice but to stick to our own rules and expel you."

She let out a sob.

"Professor," Sirius said. "Really. It was my fault."

"I'll deal with you in a moment, Black. Miss McKinnon, go up to your room. Pack your things. You broke our rules, you must pay the consequences. The train will be ready to take you home in one hour's time. Say your goodbyes." She sighed. "It really is a shame."


	55. Forever

**LV. Forever**

"Marley," Alice said. "This is so unfair. I'm so sorry."

Marlene couldn't stop crying.

"Look, we'll still keep in touch, okay? Always. We're friends forever, after all."

She nodded.

"We'll all meet up over summer holidays," Lily promised.

"We'll write you every night," added Mary.

Marlene closed her trunk and began to lug it downstairs.

Sirius was waiting.

"Marlene," he said desperately. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I know," she whispered, voice hoarse from crying. "I am, too." She took her last look around the common room. "Bye, Sirius. Bye, everyone." And she walked away from them forever.

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Tearful departure]_


	56. Imagination

**LXVI. Imagination**

"Alice?" Frank said softly.

She turned.

"Have you been crying?"

_Sniff. _"Marley's gone. They expelled her."

"I heard." He sat on the couch beside her. "I brought you a drink."

"Hot chocolate?" she guessed.

He shook his head. "Tea. Why would it be hot chocolate?"

"I dunno." She took the mug. "You love hot chocolate. You drank it the first day of classes."

"Me? You're imagining things."

"Am not."

"It's Potter who's always drinking hot chocolate." He nodded toward the corner, where James was sitting with Remus, a steaming mug clasped in his hand.

"Oh," Alice said, and then: "_Oh!_"


	57. Silence

**LVII. Silence**

Marlene was alone on the train and she hated it.

There was no one to talk to, nothing to do, no way to distract herself from the punishment that was waiting for her at home.

McGonagall had already Floo'd Beauxbatons, and their headmistress was willing to take her on as a student starting in the fall, but until then she'd be stuck at home, forbidden from using magic.

(And even though she knew she didn't really love Sirius Black, the bloody amortentia wouldn't give her a moment's rest, and every word on her silent tongue was his name.)


	58. Fade

**LVIII. Fade**

"That's it!" Alice cried, jumping up and spilling her tea everywhere. "That's why the love potion won't fade out of you!"

"Love potion?" Frank repeated.

"You didn't drink it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"On the first day of classes, I poured amortentia into your hot chocolate," Alice explained. "But you didn't drink it. _James _did. And amortentia makes you obsess over the next human you see. He was sitting beside . . . Lily!"

Frank held up his hands. "I'm sorry, you tried to slip me amortentia?"

"That's not the point. Frank, you _like _me! Without the potion!"

_Someone actually _likes_ me._


	59. Shine

**LIX. Shine**

Alice barged into the dormitory. "Lily Evans," she said grandly, "James Potter is in love with you."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I know. He's asked me out four times."

"No, no, listen." Her eyes were shining. "I put amortentia in Frank's drink at the beginning of term, remember?"

"Yes."

"No, I didn't!"

"I'm confused."

"I only _thought _it was Frank's drink. It was actually James'! He drank it and then he saw you, and - "

"And now he's obsessed with me." Lily groaned. "So it's your fault!"

Alice hugged herself. "Frank Longbottom likes me," she sang, giggling. "For _real_."


	60. Bright

**LX. Bright**

In the boy's dormitory, a very different conversation was happening. "Your poor uncle," Peter said to Remus as the taller boy packed up his things. "Such a shame he's under the weather. Especially after last month, when his wife died. Your family falls ill quite often."

"They're a sickly lot," Remus agreed, glancing out the window where the sun, although still bright, was preparing to set. "Got to catch the train and visit him immediately. They're saying he doesn't have much time left."

Peter made a sympathetic noise. "I hope it all ends up okay."

"Thanks, Pete. I do, too."


	61. Rumors

**LXI. Rumors**

It was a week later when Lily, quite unexpectedly, pulled Peter aside in the library. "We need to talk."

"If this is about the glue on the toilet seats - "

"It's about Remus."

"What about him?"

"Didn't he go home last week?"

Peter nodded. "His uncle's dying."

"How did he get home?"

"He said he was taking the train."

Lily shook her head. "Marlene was on the train that night," she said. "And she said she was alone."

Peter blinked. "Oh."

"It's probably nothing. Just, you know. Rumors have started to fly, and I was wondering if you knew the truth."


	62. Parchment

**LXII. Parchment**

_Dear McKinnon -_

_Dear Marlene -_

_Dear Marley -_

"Give up, mate," James said, watching Lily chatting to Severus Snape on the other side of the lake. "She's never going to forgive you."

"I have to _try_," Sirius said. "I got her expelled."

"She got herself expelled."

Sirius crumpled his parchment. "If I could just see her face to face, one more time - "

"You're just sore you didn't snog her like you said you would."

"I'm not. I just want to apologize."

And he meant it.

(But he never sent a letter, and it wasn't long before he forgot all about her.)


	63. Red

**LXIII. Red**

It was nine years before they ran into each other again.

It was pouring rain outside the Leaky Cauldron. Sirius stood just inside the doorway, struggling to close his Muggle umbrella, but James was behind him enchanting it to snap back open as soon as he came close.

Sirius looked up (intending to send James a rude hand gesture) just in time to see her walk in.

She tugged at her red umbrella, but just like his, it wouldn't close.

"Hi," Sirius said softly. "D'you need help?"

"Thanks, but I - " And then her eyes widened. "Sirius? Sirius Black?"


	64. Doubt

**LXIV. Doubt**

"I graduated Beauxbatons," she said once he'd convinced her to let him buy her a drink. James had left to find Lily an hour ago. They were alone. "Got myself a job as their Potions Master. Never would have happened if I'd stayed at Hogwarts. So thank you, I suppose."

If there was ever a doubt in his mind that this girl was beautiful, it was gone. She'd grown into something _radiant, _all blue eyes and dark hair and long legs and those bloody hypnotizing _eyes_.

"Sirius?"

He blinked. "Sorry. What else have you been up to?"


	65. Reminiscing

**LXV. Reminiscing**

James found Lily eating lunch with Remus and Peter. "What're you lot doing?" he asked, kissing his wife on the cheek.

"Reminiscing," Lily said. "About our first year."

"Do you remember when we found out Moony was a _you-know-what_?" Peter asked.

"I'm the one who kickstarted that investigation," Lily insisted. "When I heard he wasn't on the train going home with - oh, what was that girl's name? The one who was expelled?"

"Marlene McKinnon?"

"Yes, her! Oh, I'd forgotten all about her!"

"She's at the Leaky Cauldron," James said easily. "Sharing a drink with one Sirius Black."


	66. Perfect

**LXVI. Perfect**

Sirius was hopelessly lost in her eyes.

They were so blue, so pale, ringed by navy circles and dotted with large black irises, surrounded by curtains of long eyelashes that he swore blew gusts of wind toward him every time she blinked.

And they were _perfect._

"_Sirius_."

He jumped. "What?"

Marlene was grinning. "I just asked how you were liking your butterbeer."

"Oh. Good." He took a swig.

"Mmm. Does it taste like chocolate? Vanilla? Strawberry?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, poor thing." She leaned over to pat his arm. "There's amortentia in it," she said. "_Lots_." She stood. "You're welcome. Goodbye."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Strawberry]_


	67. Immature

**LXVII. Immature**

"I hate her," Sirius said miserably. He way lying on the Potters' couch, eyes closed, heart pounding. "I hate her."

"You love her, actually," Remus pointed out. "Not that it's your fault. But you do."

He groaned. "This should have ended nine years ago. I can't believe she isn't over it. She's so immature."

"Oh, so perfect for you, then," Lily called from the kitchen.

He swore. "When will this wear off?"

"It might not ever," James said. "Take Alice. She had a tiny sip by accident in first year and look at her now. Alice _Longbottom_."

Sirius swore again.


	68. Kiss

**LXVIII. Kiss**

Marlene got back to her flat, flew to the bookshelf, and began to flip through every book she had about potions and love.

Because amortentia was powerful, but it wasn't _permanent_, and nine years should have been enough for it to wear off.

But it hadn't. Not even close.

Because she'd spent the last three hours talking to Sirius Black, and not a second had gone by that she hadn't desperately wanted to kiss him.

He had the smoothest-looking lips...

"Pull yourself _together_," she whispered aloud, and she buried her face in a passage about love potions.

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Lips]_


	69. Subtle

**LXIX. Subtle**

"I hate her, but I can't stay away from her!" Sirius shouted.

"Padfoot, when are you going to get off our couch and go home?"

"You're making the baby nervous," Lily added, pressing her hand against her stomach. "He kicks when you yell."

"You hear that, Pads?" James said. "You're upsetting my son."

"Or daughter," Lily added.

"I can't help it!" He grabbed the coffee table and flipped it over.

James raised his eyebrows as he righted the table with a flick of his wand. "Subtle."

"I have to see her."

"Why? To kiss her? Or to kill her?"

"Exactly."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: "I hate you, but I can't stay away from you. What is this power you have over me?"]_


	70. Nightmare

**LXX. Nightmare**

Marlene sank to her knees and stared at the textbook.

This was a nightmare. This was worse than a nightmare. This was hell.

Because _she'd brewed it wrong. _Only by one ingredient, but it was still wrong, and it was still enough to ruin everything.

The recipe called for twelve ashwinder eggs. It was written right there in the instructions for brewing amortentia. Not twelve _frozen _ashwinder eggs, which was what she'd dropped into her cauldron nine years ago. Because frozen eggs (and by association, the potions they comprised) were just that: frozen. Unable to move. Unaffected by time.

_Permanent._

* * *

_[Wizard Sweets Challenge: Write about a potion with odd time constrictions_]


	71. Permanent

**LXXI. Permanent**

There was a knock on her door. She already knew who it was.

"Come in," she called, standing.

He did. "McKinnon, you arse, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"How do you know where I live?"

"Alice. Are you going to answer me?"

"It's permanent, Sirius."

He froze. "The potion, you mean? Tell me you're joking."

She shook her head. "I brewed it wrong. It's permanent. For both of us. I will always love you. You will always love me. I'm sorry."

He crossed the room in three long strides and caught her up in a fierce kiss.

* * *

_[100 Prompts: First time (kiss)]_


	72. Locket

**LXXII. Locket**

Lily touched the locket hanging around her neck. "He's kicking again," she said as James came in to collapse on their bed.

He leaned over to kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I love you more."

She laughed. "At least my love didn't come about because of amortentia."

He shrugged. "I loved you before that."

"Oh, is that so?"

"I loved you when we rowed across the lake before the Sorting. I loved you when you sat down in our compartment on the train. Lily Evans Potter, I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you."


	73. Mercy

**LXXIII. Mercy**

Marlene hated herself for leaning into the kiss.

He had his arms around her tightly, as if he couldn't bear to let go, and his hands tangled up in her hair, and it didn't matter that she was weak in the knees because he was holding her up.

"Wait," she said, pulling away. "Mercy! Just wait."

"Why?" he murmured. "If we're stuck loving each other forever, might as well make the best of it."

"Because!" She stepped back. "It's not - deep down, I don't _really _want you."


	74. More

**LXXIV. More**

"Amortentia isn't real _love_," Marlene explained. "It's lust. So we'll be infatuated with each other for the rest of our lives, but there isn't any _love. _We won't actually _care _for one another."

His face was unreadable. "You don't care about me?"

"You got me expelled. And then proceeded to never contact me again. Forgive me for holding a bit of a grudge."

"I care about you."

"It's just the amorten - "

"I helped you get your trunk on the train. First year. Remember? I cared about you then."

"I need more than that, Sirius. A lot more."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Lust]_


	75. Child

**LXXV. Child**

"Full moon is coming," Remus said as he dropped by for breakfast.

James looked up from his sausage. "Not on Sunday?"

"Yep."

"That's when the baby's due," Lily said. "James Potter, you will _not _leave me alone to have this child!"

"Of course not!" James smiled at her. "I'll get you a Healer."

She swatted him. "Moony, you can go with Padfoot and Wormtail, can't you?"

"Yeah." Remus sat down. "I can. Prongs should be here."

"But - " He looked torn. "I've never missed a full moon."

"_James_. There are times when your newborn child is more important than your friend."


	76. Key

**LXXVI. Key**

Sirius left Marlene's with a plan.

He was going to prove to her that he _did _love her, _did _care about her.

(Even if he wasn't so sure either of those things were true beneath the veil of the love potion.)

He didn't know what the key to her heart was - had no idea, in fact - but he'd wooed other girls with flowers and smooth lines, so he went back to his flat and began to map out a plan.

He'd need nine dozen roses, to start.

And he'd need his battered old trunk from first year.


	77. Hatred

**LXXVII. Hatred**

The baby didn't come on Sunday.

"I can't believe I missed the full moon for _nothing_" James moaned.

Lily's eyes flashed. "I will _pay _you to shut up."

"Poor Moony, he was probably - "

"He's not the _point_. Why are you incapable of focusing on your family?"

"Moony _is _my family."

"Then why don't you go have a baby with bloody Moony!"

He walked around to massage her shoulders. "Lily. Darling. You're tired. You're stressed. I love you."

"I hate you," she replied, but she tilted her face up and let him kiss her. "And I'm sick of being pregnant."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: - "I hate you." "I love you, too."_

_- "I will pay you to shut up."]_


	78. Rainbow

**LXXVIII. Rainbow**

When Marlene opened the door the next morning, she nearly tripped over the giant trunk on her doorstep.

"What the hell?" she muttered, bending to open it.

It was filled to the brim with flowers, charmed to flash every color of the rainbow, and sitting in the center was a red umbrella with the words, _Go out with me? _scrawled in gold ink across the handle.

She rolled her eyes and slammed the lid down. "You're going to have to do better than that, Sirius," she called, kicking the trunk to the side. "And you've made me late."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Slamming]_


	79. Diamond

**LXXIX. Diamond**

When she came home that evening, the trunk was back.

She wanted to ignore it, but it was from him and she couldn't ignore anything about him, so she opened it.

The flowers from earlier had been replaced with ten thousand tiny rhinestones that glittered and threw rainbows across the room. Strewn atop the rhinestones was a single red rose with a diamond ring adorning its stem.

She couldn't help smiling, but she closed the trunk anyway. "You really think I can be bought?" she said to the empty hallway where she knew he was hiding. "Bless your soul."


	80. Balloons

**LXXX. Balloons**

By the end of the week, Sirius was running out of ideas.

He'd filled that trunk with singing doves, with sweets, with enchanted teddy bears, even with balloons.

And none of it was enough.

"I don't understand," he said to James, who was struggling to keep his eyes open. "I'm charming, right?"

"Girls are mental," James said. "Girls are mental, and my son won't go to sleep."

"Girls like babies, though. Maybe if I borrow Harry, she'll - "

James yawned. "Please, _adopt _Harry. Take him away. Anything for a break from - " The wails of a baby interrupted him. " - that."


	81. Tears

**LXXXI. Tears**

"It's not about how spectacular your gifts are," Lily explained when Sirius went to her for advice. She had Harry in her arms, and as usual, he was crying. "You have to prove you care about _her_. Do something that means a lot to her. Or say something extremely honest."

"How is a singing dove dishonest?"

"It's not. It's just not personalized. You have to do something that shows you know what she likes." She held out the baby. "Will you hold him? My arms are killing me."

"Sure." Sirius accepted the bundle. "Any ideas, Harry?"

The boy only cried.


	82. Drunk

**LXXXII. Drunk**

The next time Marlene opened her door, it was Sirius himself waiting on the welcome mat.

"Marlene," he slurred, and she could smell the firewhiskey on his breath. "Someone very wise told me to be honest with you."

"Are you drunk? It's nine in the morning."

"I had to. Or you wouldn't know I'm serious." He smirked. "I'm Sirius."

"Go on, then. What do you want to tell me?"

He reached for her hand. "Marley. D'you know how many times I've been pranked in my life?"

"You're friends with James, so I dunno, billions?"

"Just twice. Both times by you."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Drunken admission]_


	83. Equal

**LXXXIII. Equal**

"You're the only one who's ever gotten the best of me," he continued. "When you pushed me in the lake . . . and when you gave me love potion. You're the only one capable of - you're the only one who makes me - you're my _equal_."

"Better than just _equal_, I like to think."

"Fine, fine. Look, I've dated girls. A lot of them. Pretty ones. But they never caught me up the way you do. I didn't really think about them. And damn, McKinnon, I can't stop thinking about you."

"Thinking about what, my arse?"

He grabbed her arm. "Your _brilliance."_


	84. Maybe

**LXXXIV. Maybe**

Marlene didn't buy it. "You never contacted me. Not in nine years."

"I didn't know what to say."

"Must not have wanted to talk to me very much, then."

"I wanted to apologize. I wanted to - "

"But you didn't." She had her hands in her hair. "Merlin, Sirius, d'you know what I went through? Being away from you was _torture. _The worst kind of withdrawal. And I kept waiting for it to get better, for the amortentia to wear off, and it never did. So I started to think - maybe I did love you."

"Maybe you do," he said quietly.


	85. Sacred

**LXXXV. Sacred**

"No." She closed her eyes. "I don't love you. It's lust. That's it."

"It could grow. If you let it."

"Why do you want this so badly?"

"Because when I helped you out at the train station that day, there wasn't a drop of amortentia in me, and I still knew I wanted you."

She laughed. "You wanted to _snog _me."

"But I also wanted to be your _friend_." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Look, if I tell you a secret - if I show you something absolutely sacred to me - will you believe me then?"

* * *

_[100 Prompts: "I have an announcement to make."]_


	86. Mask

**LXXXVI. Mask**

"Fine. Show me something sacred." She rolled her eyes. "But if you start to strip, I swear - "

"It's not that."

And suddenly, Sirius Black was gone, and in his place was a giant black dog.

Marlene screamed.

"No, no, it's all right!" The dog was a human again. "It's me. I'm - I'm an unregistered animagus." His eyes had lost their glazed, tipsy sheen. "There. The mask is gone. The truth is out. That's the most proof I can give you: I trust you enough to reveal my deepest secret. If that's not love, I don't know what is. Date me?"

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Shocking confession]_


	87. Pebbles

**LXXXVII. Pebbles**

Peter sat on the dock skipping smooth pebbles across the lake.

He hadn't seen the baby yet.

He hadn't been _invited _to see the baby yet.

Not that he would have gone anyway. He was busy nowadays, busy with his new friends who actually appreciated his company. But he would have liked to be asked.

Sure, he still had lunch with Moony sometimes, but the truth was - and he'd always known this - they were only friends with him because they couldn't get away from him at school.

"But now I have real friends," he muttered, and he threw another pebble.


	88. Surprise

**LXXXVIII. Surprise**

"Date me?" Sirius asked again when Marlene didn't answer.

She licked her lips. "I - I can't say no, can I," she whispered.

"I'd really love it if you didn't, yeah."

She laughed. "All right. Fine. I'll date you. But I want to be treated like a _queen_."

He kissed her, and she murmured, "Finally," against his lips.

"What do you mean, finally?" he asked, pulling back. "You could have said yes any time."

She bit her lip and grinned. "I know."

"Why didn't you?"

Her eyes sparkled mischievously, and he loved it. "Because I like to watch you beg."


	89. Gravity

**LXXXIX. Gravity**

And gravity kept the world spinning.

The summer passed into autumn, and Marlene went back to teaching at Beauxbatons, and Sirius visited once a week because he couldn't stay away from her.

The autumn faded to winter, and James realized he'd been so busy with the baby that he hadn't seen Wormtail in months.

Winter turned to spring just as Remus tried his first batch of wolfsbane potion.

And spring bloomed back into summer when Harry said his first word ("No!").

And then the world came to a halt:

"Sirius?" Marlene said one morning over breakfast.

"Hm?"

"I'm pregnant."


	90. Wild

**XC. Wild**

Sirius dropped his spoon. "Excuse me?"

"I'm pregnant."

He sat in silence for a moment. "Is it - mine?" he asked stupidly.

She rolled her eyes. "No, it's James Potter's. Of course it's yours, you idiot."

Sirius blinked. "Is it a boy?"

"It's two cells big, Sirius, it's not even a human yet."

Sirius gasped. "Is it a _dog?_"

"It's not a dog!" She laughed. "Our baby is not going to be any kind of wild animal."

"Our baby," Sirius breathed. "That's - a lot to handle so early in the morning."

She kissed his cheek. "Start getting used to it."


	91. Asking

**XCI. Asking**

"You haven't asked her to marry you yet?"

It was August - just after Harry's first birthday - and Sirius was on the porch talking to James. "There's never a good time," he insisted. "She's always busy."

"She's having your baby, mate, she's going to slow down sometime."

"Yeah." Sirius watched baby Harry crawl madly through the grass. "I s'pose. I just don't know how to do it. How did you ask Lily?"

"Lily asked _him_," Lily called from her place next to Harry.

"It's true," James said. "I was too nervous. She had to do the asking, in the end."

* * *

_[100 Prompts: Marriage]_


	92. Missing

**XCII. Missing**

He stood outside Marlene's office door at Beauxbatons and knocked twice.

It opened immediately. "Sirius? Is everything okay?"

He swallowed. "I have a question."

She sighed. "Is this about the Muggle oven again?"

"No." He felt like he was going to be sick. "Marlene. You mean everything to me. Even when I'm with you - right now - I'm missing you. And I just . . . I don't want to feel that way ever again."

She realized a split second before he went down on one knee. "Siriu - "

"Will you marry me?"

She hit him in the face.


	93. Intense

**XCIII. Intense**

He rubbed his jaw. "Okay," he said. "Not what I expected. But okay."

"You stupid _buffoon_," she said, and she was crying and laughing at the same time, and her eyes were bright and bold and intense and _Merlin he loved her_. "It took you long enough!"

He grinned. "Is that a yes, then?"

"Of course it's a bloody yes!"

"Good." He stood and pulled her into a hug.

"I love you," she whispered. "And that's not just the amortentia talking. I really, really love you."

He kissed her. "I told you you did."


	94. Flying

**XCIV. Flying**

The weeks of wedding-planning (of which Lily seized control) flew by, and before they knew it it was October.

"A New Year's Eve wedding," Lily said dreamily. "Just after the baby's born, so she'll be nice and slim again."

"Being round is helpful," Marlene said, patting her stomach. "I'm dressing as a pumpkin for Halloween next week."

"I suggested she go as the Fat Lady," Sirius jumped in. "But I was turned down."

"I'm not fat. I'm _round. _Like a _pumpkin._"

"Like a very lovely pumpkin," Sirius amended, and he kissed her on the nose.


	95. Hinges

**XCV. Hinges**

She went missing two days later.

Her door was blasted off its hinges.

Her flat was ransacked.

Her wand was left behind.

And Sirius knew, without knowing how he knew it, that he was never going to see her again.


	96. Betrayal

**XCVI. Betrayal**

Later, when he was in Azkaban and had time to confront the painful memories, he realized it was Wormtail who had betrayed her.

Because helping to murder James and Lily wasn't enough - he had to go after Sirius, too, had to shatter Sirius' heart, had to take away the one woman that he would never be able to get over, and not because of the amortentia, but because he'd loved her _so fucking much._

(Amazing how his body never seemed to run out of tears.)

(Amazing how much he wanted to die.)


	97. Finally

**XCVII. Finally**

He never forgot about her.

Not one day passed when he didn't think of her, of her face, of her eyes, of her laugh, of her humor, of her hands.

Not. One. Day.

Not in Azkaban. Not when he was hiding out on the Hogwarts grounds. Not in Grimmauld Place.

And especially not in the Department of Mysteries, when he fell backward through the Veil and landed in her arms on the other side.

Her whispered, "Finally," was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his life.


	98. Right

**XCVIII. Right**

"You're still round," was the first thing he said when he realized he was dead (and yet _so so alive_).

She looked down at her stomach. "I know. I never had the baby." She shrugged. "You'll get used to it."

"Yeah?" He frowned, but his eyes were laughing. "What makes you think I'm staying with you long enough for that? I'm dead now. The amortentia has no hold over me."

She smiled. "Something tells me you love me regardless of that potion."

And when she kissed him, he finally felt _right_ for the first time in fifteen years.


	99. Forest

**XCIX. Forest**

It was later, once he'd been reunited with James and Lily, than Marlene took his hand. "I want to show you something," she said, and she led him into a small forest growing behind James and Lily's house - the afterlife, it seemed, was a carbon copy of the real world.

"What's all this?" he asked, taking in the paper lanterns hanging from the trees.

"It's our wedding," she said. "The one we were planning once. I set it up ages ago, and I thought - maybe you still wanted to tie the knot?"

He bent to kiss her forehead. "I do."


	100. Horizon

**C. Horizon**

One by one, everyone joined them.

First it was Dumbledore.

And then Remus, and his wife Tonks.

And then Severus, who wasn't as bad as they'd all thought.

And then Frank Longbottom, followed quickly by Alice.

And finally, when he was no longer a crying baby but instead a tired war hero ready to rest, Harry.

After that, Sirius stopped noticing that time passed at all.

Because he was surrounded by everyone he'd ever wanted and everyone he'd ever needed, and as long as he had them, he didn't mind fading away into the horizon.


End file.
